ChainATM vs Trade Republic
How does ChainATM compare to centralized crypto exchanges? Here's an honest side-by-side.
What Trade Republic is
Trade Republic is a German neobroker offering stocks, ETFs, derivatives and crypto in one account with a banking licence and a German IBAN. Since its Crypto Wallet launched in November 2025 it also supports sending and receiving supported coins to and from external wallets.
The structural difference is custody. Trade Republic holds your crypto until you withdraw it, which is what makes its trading features possible and also what puts your balance on someone else's books. ChainATM delivers to a wallet you hold the keys to, so there is no withdrawal step, and no one to ask if you want your funds moved.
Common questions
Is Trade Republic or ChainATM better for buying and sending crypto?
It depends on which part you do most. Pick Trade Republic if what your use case turns on is what it is strongest at: German banking licence and German IBAN; Crypto sits next to stocks and ETFs in one portfolio. ChainATM is the better choice if you want to buy, swap and send from one conversation instead of three separate flows. ChainATM adds no fee or markup of its own. Network, provider and bridge costs still apply. Some are built into the quoted amount rather than listed separately, so check what you pay and what you receive before you confirm. ChainATM does not operate an omnibus customer wallet or hold crypto on its own balance sheet. The default embedded wallet is provided by Privy. After you confirm a supported action, execution may use ChainATM's authenticated backend and Privy's wallet infrastructure, or request approval from a connected external wallet, depending on the route. A card or bank purchase is processed by the third-party provider shown in the app.
What does Trade Republic cost compared to ChainATM?
Trade Republic: A flat per-order external cost on trades, with crypto priced through a spread; transfers out cost network fees only. ChainATM: each message you send to the AI in chat uses 1 credit (from about EUR 0.08 per credit with the 500-credit pack), and a buy, swap or send itself uses no credits. ChainATM adds no fee or markup of its own. Network, provider and bridge costs still apply. Some are built into the quoted amount rather than listed separately, so check what you pay and what you receive before you confirm.
Can I use Trade Republic and ChainATM together?
Yes. ChainATM is self-custody and does not require you to move away from Trade Republic. Many people keep Trade Republic and use ChainATM for the parts that are awkward elsewhere: cross-chain swaps in a single command.
Does ChainATM hold my crypto like Trade Republic does?
No. Trade Republic holds your crypto on its own books until you withdraw it. ChainATM is non-custodial: the coins land in your own wallet, we never hold your funds, and we never have access to your keys in usable form. There is no withdrawal step, because nobody else held the funds in the first place.
Is ChainATM available in my country?
Availability depends on our on-ramp partners' supported regions. ChainATM is built by Noctra Labs UG (haftungsbeschränkt) in Trier, Germany, registered at Amtsgericht Wittlich under HRB 48033. Card or bank purchases run through a third-party provider shown in the app; payment methods depend on that provider and your region.
Feature Comparison
| ChainATM | Trade Republic | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | AI-powered text and voice commands | Neobroker app with a unified portfolio across asset classes |
| Fees', chainatm: '1 credit per message to the AI (from about €0.08/credit with the 500-credit pack); buys, swaps and sends use no credits. ChainATM adds no fee or markup of its own. Network, provider and bridge costs still apply. Some are built into the quoted amount rather than listed separately, so check what you pay and what you receive before you confirm. | A flat per-order external cost on trades, with crypto priced through a spread; transfers out cost network fees only | |
| AI Assistant | Yes. Natural language understanding. | No |
| Voice Commands | Yes, iOS app with voice control | No |
| Custody | Self-custody. Your keys, always. Biometric security. | Custodial while held, but transfers to an external wallet are supported |
| Swap & Send | Yes, buy, swap, and send in one chat interface | Yes (separate interfaces) |
| Cross-Chain | Yes, automatic routing via LI.FI across 9 chains | Within exchange only |
| Fiat Onramp | Yes, credit card, Apple Pay, bank transfer (via Coinbase) | Yes |
| Account Required | Email or social login, 30 seconds | Full KYC verification |
What Trade Republic Does Well
Trade Republic Strengths
- German banking licence and German IBAN
- Crypto sits next to stocks and ETFs in one portfolio
- Sends and receives 50+ coins to external wallets at network cost only
- Very familiar interface for German retail investors
- Automated German tax handling
Trade Republic Limitations
- Custodial while held, so not your keys until you move them out
- Built as a broker, not as a crypto product
- No AI or voice
- No swaps, no cross-chain, no DeFi access
- Buying and self-custody are still two separate steps
When Trade Republic is the better choice
Trade Republic is genuinely the better choice for some people, and it is worth being straight about where. If any of these are what your use case turns on, pick Trade Republic. A comparison page that cannot name the other product's advantages is not worth reading.
- German banking licence and German IBAN
- Crypto sits next to stocks and ETFs in one portfolio
- Sends and receives 50+ coins to external wallets at network cost only
- Very familiar interface for German retail investors
When ChainATM is the better choice
ChainATM is the better fit if you want the crypto in your own wallet from the moment you buy it, and if a chat is a more natural interface for you than an order book. It is not a trading terminal and does not try to be.
Why Choose ChainATM Over Trade Republic?
Self-custody by default
Trade Republic's exchange is custodial: you deposit funds, they hold them, you withdraw later. ChainATM is self-custody. Crypto goes directly to a wallet you control.
No order books, no jargon
Trade Republic's consumer interface is still a trading product with charts, pairs, and forms. ChainATM is a chat: "Buy $100 of ETH" and that's the whole interaction.
One app for buy, swap, send
Trade Republic splits buying, trading, and sending across multiple flows. ChainATM is one conversation.
Voice on iOS
Trade Republic has no voice interface. ChainATM lets you buy, swap, and send by speaking on iOS.